Feed-regulating apparatus for liquids



w. s. BOWEN FEED REGULATING AEPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 24. 1926INVENTOR fl z'llzkzm Jpencerfiowe/z AT'TORNEY considerable distancePatented Dec 6, 1927.

FEED-BEGULL'IING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

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WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

Application filed December 24, 1926.- Serial No. 156,830.

by means of suitable float controlled appara-- I The invention relates asystem for controlling the to a steam supply of Water or other boiler orother evaporator in liquid order that the proper quantity may bemaintained therein; and it relates more especially to the high pressuregreat fluctuations of water may occur.

type of. boiler wherein the temperature of the With the very considerable difierences in temperature which may prevail in boilers ofthis be apparent type, it will that the actual volume of the water ofthe boiler will swell or contract appreciably in accordance ature andloadconditions; the present apparatus fore, great difficulty with thetemper- There is with in general use, there- "in maintaining the properquantity of Water in the boiler since the positlon of the water levelglass quantity, or ratherjmass, of the in. Moreover,-the usual. gaugeinthe gaugedoes not aliord a true index of the water thereglass for ther feed water is of necessity located at a position corresponding to thenormal level of the water in the boiler and is generally at a Thepresent invention from the boiler floor level, ma ing .it-diificult forthe operator to view theindication in the gauge glass.

has for its object a novel feed regulating apparatus for maintaining theproper" quantity of water or other liquid in the boiler or otherevaporator for liquidand irrespective of and load conditions; ingapparatus therefor to be suitable pointso as servation.

temperature also, to enable indicat-' located at a to be convenient forob- The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood whendescribed in connection with the accompanying diagrammatlcrepresentation of the invention as embodied, for.

which is a more or less drawing,

exam le, in connection with a steam boiler.

Re rring to the drawing,

' floor of a boiler room or-the' I and heretofore it has 7 which'is'supported bodying the tubes 3 and posed at all times normal level ofsame control manually the supply of 'boiler in observing the level ofsame in the drum through a suitable gauge like, as is well understood;or, a

urnace portion 2 and drum 4, as wellas the The drum 4 is sup- 1designates the like and by the boiler structure emthe boiler headers thewater to the glass or the utofnatically,

tus, the float rising and falling with the level of the water in thedrum of the boiler. Further expedients, such as steam and electricallycontrolled apparatus, have been utilized for this purpose; but alldepend in their operation on the actual level of the water in the drum.

In accordance with the present invention, nothing of this nature isemployed; but the operation, While entirely automatic, is dependent noton the actual level of the water in the boiler but rather upon itsdensity at a predetermined temperature. That is. to y, vary withincomparatively large limitsthe minimum, of course, being always above thesafe "level.the operation of the feed mechanism for supplying the Waterto the boiler is entirely dependent upon the actual mass or weightof thewater in the boiler.

For example, a connection '10 is taken from theloWer-most portion of theheader 5, and

lowest point of the water U-tube member which is also the in the boiler,to one leg of a 11 containing a mercury column 12, the other leg of the'U-tube member 11 being always remain equalized in the two legs of theU-tube member upon opposite sides of the mercury column 12 thereof, thusbalancing this column. The Water of the boiler, however, will disturbthis balance to an extent depending upon the hydraulic headthereof.However, the height of this column, as will be understood, is a functionof the temperature of the water, so that even though the actual heightof the water column increases with increase of temperature and viceversa, this i have no eflect upon the position of the mercury column 12,as the actual weight of the water acting thereon is not altered. Means,hereinafter described, are provided for controlling the supply of waterto the boiler through the variations in the height of the said mercurycolumn-12; and it will be understood that such means are to be soadjusted that they will not 'be actuated until the weight of theaforesaid column of water, irrespective of its actual height in theboiler, falls below a certain predetermined amount while the actuallevel of the water may difference in height wil and which wouldcorrespond to an unsafe level of the water in the boiler at the coolesttemperature of said water employed therein..

" connected to the mercury column 12 and the other extending into thetop of the U-tube as at the steam leg thereof and at a point normally incontact with the mercury column 12 which corresponds to a safe quantityof water in the boiler. As the water in the boiler becomes depleted, itwill be understood that the higher or steam leg of the mercury column 12will gradually drop in the U-tube in accordance with the reduced weightof the water in said boiler and until it no lou er makes contact withthe one lead 18 extending through the upper portion of said U-tube leg.Under these conditions, th solenoid responds to actuate the pump-coirtrol valve for starting up the pump 19 and by which feed water issupplied through the connection 20 to the boiler, the pump continuing tooperate until suliicient mass of water ias been delivered to the boilerto again cause the mercury column 12 to ascend in the U-tube to a pointwhere it makes contact with the exposed lead 18. This completes thecircuit to the solenoid, operating thereby the pump control valve inmanner well understood to shut off the sup ly; and, if desired, a relayalarm device in icated at 21 may be included in either of the leads 18to give notice of the filling ofqthe boiler.

Moreover, it will be noted that the U-tube is located substantially atthe lowermost part of the boiler and therefore will be convenientlysituated for observation, so that the actual conditions revailing may beobserved also in the U-tu e 11.

nessnoea I claim:

1. The combination with evaporating apparatus, and means for supplyingliquid thereto: of a pressure-responsive device ex posed constantly uponopposite sides substantially to the pressure at the lowermost part ofthe evaporator and to the pressure in the vapor space thereof; and meansoperated by the prevailing difference in pressure to which saidpressure-responsive device is exposed for controlling the supply ofliquid.

2. The combination with a steam boiler, and means for supplying waterthereto; ot a pressureresponsive device exposed constantly upon oppositesides substantially to the pressure at the lowermost part of the boilerand to the pressure in the vapor space thereof; and means operated bythe prevailing difference in pressure to which said pres sure-responsivedevice is exposed for controlling the supply of water to the boiler.

3. The combination with a steam boiler, and means for supplying waterthereto; of a mercury U-tube member, having one leg connected to theboiler substantially at its lowermost point and the other leg constantlyto the steam space of the boiler; an electromagnetic device, and asourceof electricity connected to the mercury column of said U- tubemember; and means controlled by said electro-magnetic device under theinfluence of said mercury column for regulating the supply of water tothe boiler.

4. The combination with a steam boiler. and means for supplying waterthereto; of a mercury U-tube member, having one leg connected to theboiler substantially at its lowermost point and the other leg constantlyto the steam space of the boiler; an electromagnetic device, and asource of electricity connected to the-mercury column, the latternormally closing the circuit to said electroill) magnetic device; andmeans controlled by i said electro magnetic device under the influenceof the mercury of said U-tube for regulating the supply of water to theboiler.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN.

